Self-propelled toy steam-type locomotive



Au@ 9, 1966 M. 1. GLAss r-:TAL 3,264,782

SELF-PROPELLED TOY STEAM-TYPE LOCOMOTIVE Filed Aug. 20, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 MMA, fww, im

Myl. GLASS- ETAL 3,264,782

SELF-PROPELLED TOY STEAM-TYPE LOCOMOTIVE 4 sheets-sheet :s

Filed. Aug. 20, 1963 M, fwn zgn, ww Tag @5- M. GLASS ETAL SELF-PROPELLED TOY STEAM-TYPE LOGOMOTIVE Filed Aug. 20, 1963 Aug. 9, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 fin/faim" MAW/N J ms United States Patent O 3,264,782 SELF-PROPELLED TOY STEAM-TYPE LOCOMOTIVE Marvin I. Glass and Gunars Licitis, Chicago, Ill., assignors to Marvin Glass & Associates, Chicago, Ill., a

partnership Filed Aug. 20, 1963, Ser. No. 303,394 6 Claims. (Cl. 46-243) This invention relates to a toy and, more particularly, to a self-propelled toy steam-type locomotive.

Various types of self-propelled toys have been developed for the amusement of small children. Many such toys are in the form of well-known vehicles such as automobiles, re engines, dump trucks, military tanks, and the like. The present invention is illustrated particularly with respect to a toy locomotive having novel features of structure and operation.

It is the primary object of this invention to provide a new and amusing toy. A related object is provision of such a toy in the form of a self-propelled vehicle. Another object is provision of a new and amusing toy simulating a device operated by burning fuel and wherein material simulating fuel is loaded into and consumed to operate the device.

Still another object is provision of a new and amusing toy locomotive. A related object is provision of such a toy in the form of a steam-type locomotive having a coal hopper which receives a plurality of balls simulating coal, the locomotive having a cab with a throttle operable for starting the locomotive in motion and initiating feeding of the balls into a boiler rebox to simulate stoking the boiler, with the balls then being ilipped through a smokestack in a manner suggestive of puffs of smoke.

These and other objects of the invention are more particularly set forth in the following description and in the accompanying drawings of which:

FIGURES 1 and 2 are perspective views of a preferred embodiment of the invention in the form of a toy locomotive;

FIGURES 3 and 4 are enlarged fragmentary side views of the locomotive with parts broken away and in section for clearer illustration;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken generally along the line 5 5 in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken generally along the line 6-6 in FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken generally along the line 7-7 in FIGURE 4; and

FIGURES 8, 9 and 10 are vertical sectional views of a portion of FIGURE 4 and therewith illustrate a sequence of operation ofthe toy.

The invention is, in brief, directed to a toy in the form of an old-fashioned steam-type locomotive. The locomotive has a coal hopper for receiving balls which simulate coal. A throttle lever in a cab of the locomotive may be actuated by a child operating the toy for admitting a first ball to a rebox whereupon the locomotive moves forward. As the locomotive continues its forward movement, it flips the balls from a smokestack in a manner simulating puffs of smoke, and the child may try to catch these balls. When the hopper is empty of balls the locomotive automatically stops moving forward and balls cease to be emitted from the smokestack. The child-may then load the balls back into the hopper and again actuate the throttle lever as previously described.

With particular reference to FIGURES l and 2 of the drawings, the invention is illustrated inthe form of a toy locomotive of a very old-fashioned steam-type. The locomotive includes a body 10 having a coal hopper 12 at its rear end for receiving pieces of material suggestive of 3,264,782 Patented August 9, 1966 ICC coal, and herein these pieces are in the form of balls 14. A throttle lever 16 is provided in a roofed cab 18 of the locomotive, and upon actuating the throttle lever a first or leading ball 14 is admitted from the hopper 12 into a iirebox 20 of a boiler 21 ahead of the hopper, to simulate stoking the locomotive. As the iirst ball enters the firebox, the locomotive is driven forwardly on its main wheels 22f (front) and 22r (rear) and its pilot wheels 24. Upon such forward movement the balls pass through the boiler portion 21 and are flipped, one by one, upwardly through a funnel type smokestack 28. In order to increase realism in the toy, a sand bonnet 30 is provided atop the boiler as in a bell 32. Noisemaker means is provided for producing a sound similar to a locomotive moving along and a clanging sound of a locomotive bell. Other suitable ornamentation including, for example, a headlight 33 and a cow catcher 34 are also provided in the 'illustrated embodiment.

From the rear end of the hopper 12 a lower wall 35 (FIGURE 3) of the hopper is inclined downwardly and opposed side walls 36 (FIGURE 5) thereof converge inwardly toward the rebox 20, thereby providing means for feeding the balls 14 from the hopper into the rebox. Upon swinging the throttle lever 16 rearwardly from its normal position (FIGURES 3, 4, 9 and 10), to the position shown in FIGURE 8, a paddle 3611, formed integrally with the throttle lever 16 and above the first ball 14 in the hopper, is pivoted downwardly to move this ball into the rebox 20.

A torsion spring 36a urges the throttle lever 16 and its paddle 36h in a counterlockwise direction so that the paddle is in the position shown in FIGURE 9, thereby permitting another ball 14 to pass under the paddle. As the Vfirst ball moves into the rebox, a switch 37 is closed and, more particularly, a resilient upper switch leaf 38 is depressed by the rst ball entering the rebox and engages a resilient lower switch leaf 40, which normally engages the underside of the lower hopper wall 35, thereby closing a circuit between batteries 44 (FIGURE 3) mounted in the body 10 below the hopper 12, and a small electric motor 46 (FIGURE 7) for driving the `locomotive in a forward direction. Prior to operation of the throttle lever 16, the lead ball 14 is held in the mouth of the iirebox 20 FIGURE 4) through its engagement with the rear end of the upper switch leaf 38. The balls 14 may be of any desired type, and herein may be hollow plastic balls similar to Ping-pong balls to avoid damage to `any article they might strike.

Upon operation of the motor 46, the locomotive is driven forwardly through a speed reduction gear train 4S (FIGURE 7). This gear train includes a drive pinion 50 iixedly mounted on a drive shaft of the motor 46 and drivingly meshed with 'a large gear 52 of a cluster freely rotatable on a shaft 54 mounted on the body 10. This cluster includes a pinion 56 drivingly mes-hed with a gear 58 of a cluster freely rotatable on a drive axle shaft 60 journaled on the body 10 with a pinion 62 of this cluster drivingly meshed with a gear 64 of a cluster freely rotatable on the shaft 54 and including a pinion 66 drivingly meshed with a large driven gear 68 xedly mounted on the axle 60 for rotating the axle. The axle 60 is xedly connected with the front pair of the main wheels 22f for driving the locomotive. The rear pair of the main wheels 221' is suitably mounted for free rotation on the body 10.

As may best be seen in FIGURES 4 and 7-10, an eccentric 70 is mounted on the axle shaft 60 and is received between opposed tangs of a bifurcated front end 72 of a control lever 74 pivoted at an intermediate portion on a horizontal pivot pin 76 mounted on the body. The control lever 74 has an opposite bifurcated rear end 78 with opposed tangs receiving a pin 80 extending horizontally from a slide 82. As may best be seen in FIGURE 7, the

slide 82 is mounted in a suitableguide 84 (integral with the body for vertical sliding movement of the slide. The slide mounts the switch 37, and upon rotation ofthe ax-le shaft 60 the lever 74 is oscillated up :and down there-- by moving the slide 82 up y.and down. As the slide 82 moves downwardly from the position shown in FIGURE@ 4, the leading ball 14 passes over the top spring leaf 38 and the lower leaf 40 moves out of engagement with the bottom wall 35` of the hopper 12, so that inherent resiliency of the leaves 38 and 40 maintain them closed to hold the circuit between the battery 44 and the motor 46'. Before the switch movesupwardly toward the position shownain FIGURE 4, the remaining balls 14 in the h0pper 12 will have rolled downwardly toward the mouth of the frebox and the leading ball 14 will have moved downwardly from the .position shown in FIGURE 4 to the position shown in FIGURE 9 wherein the leading ball is stopped by an abutment 86. The abutment 86-is integral with the slide 82 and extends upwardly in front of a tube 88 providing 'a ball passage through the boiler 21. position, the abutment 86 moves upwardly from in front of the passage and the leading ball 14 may roll out of the passage and across an incline 89, dropping from the fronty end of the incline to the position indicated by the ball at the bottom of the center of the boiler, as shown in FIG..

URE 4. Upon release of this ball by the :abutment 86, a stop 90, also formed integrally with the slide 82,'moves upwardly through a slot and into the tube SSL to retain the succeeding ball 14 in the passage.

With particular reference to FIGURES 3-5 `as a balll 14 drops off of the forwardfend of the incline 89 itfalls into an upwardly opening channel 92 and rolls to the rear end of the channel where it comes to rest against a leaf spring 94 secured to and extending upwardly from a bottom portion of the body 10. The channel 92 .is arched.

upwardly from its rear end toward its front end, and its front end is aligned with and opens into the smokestack' 28. A hook 96 is ilxedly secured to the axle shaft V60,S

and upon rotation of the axle shaft the hook 96 engages an upper end of the leaf spring 94, flexing the spring rearn4 wardly to the dotted line position shown in-,FIGUREL4. Continued rotation of the hook 96 causes it to disengage the spring 94, whereupon the spring ilexes forwardly and` llips the ball 14, seated in the rear end of the channel 92, forwardly through the channel and upwardly out of the smokestack 28. The balls are preferably flipped for-k 60 and having ilat peripheral edges, as 1102, in generally square arrangement with each other and centered about the axle shaft. A plurality of sets of notches 104 -are Y provided at the apexes formed by each Vpair of adjacent edges .102. A leaf spring 106 extends lengthwise of the locomotive and is rrlxedly mounted `at its rear end on a bottom Iwall r107 of the body 10` and is -inclined .up-wardly toward its forward end which `is resiliently urged against the peripheral edges 102 and notches 104 of the plate 100 and in FIGURE 3 is shown resting on one of the llat edges i102V of the plate 100; As the axle shafti rotates, the spring 106 will ride across the llat sides 102.'

and across the notch portions 104 and the bottom wall 107 serves as a sounding board to produce a sound simulating a steam locomotive sound. Smoothforwand motion of the locomotive may, if desired, be interrupted by providing a spring 106 which is sufficiently'strong to When the switch leaves move back to `their upper retard Iforward ,movement of the .locomotive and to permit it to jerk forwardas the spring rides over the notches.

With reference Ito 'FIGURES 3, 4 and -7,' the noisemaker. lmeans further includes a dish shaped bell shell 110 suitably mounted, as.by a rivet v11-2,;to.the locomotive body =10. Agclapper -114 Vis mountedon -the end ofk an upper leg of a generally U-shaped resilient bracket 116 'which has its other-leg liixedlyk secured kto the ,body bottom ,wall 4107. A. .plurality lof pins: .120 gene-rally equally spaced about :and parallel to the axle shafty60.v

extend, from one face of the` :plate :in position to successively engage a generally vertical bight portion 122. LV

of the bracket 116 and flex the bight and upper leg. As

a pin 120 rides across and disengages the bight, the brackf et 1l16jis released `and the. clappera114 'strikes thebell shell and.continues -to vibrate against the shell until a succeeding pin engages: the bracket bight 122.

Thelocomotive shell including its 4body;10, is preferably a suitable Vmolded plastic material which readilyi lends litself to inexpensive .fabrication fand provision of any desiredde'gree ofy detail. VThe drive mechanism.may be a suitable metal or plastic ,as desired.

To' summarize the 7operationof-the toy locomotive, a child loads aznumber-of balls 14 into the hopper 12 and one of the balls will roll `to the rmouth of the .irebox 20 andrest against the rear end of the upper switch leaf 38, as shown-inFIGURE=4. The :child may then pivot the throttle lleverll rearwardly whereupon its paddle 36h "engages an upper rea-r portion of the balland urgesr yit across the top surface ofi the upper spring leaf '38,. thus'Y dellecting the upper spring leaf. downwardly into contact with the lower* switch leaf -40, closing a circuit from=the battery 44 to the; .motor 45. The motor now rotates theaxleshaft l60,fthereby driving front pair'of main'wheels I22]. Initial rotation of the axle shaft 60.;Y causes the control lever 74 torotate clockwise lfrom' the.Y

position shown in 'FIGURES 3 and 8 to the position shown in FIGUREthereby moving the `slide member 82' downwardly. Downlward movementfof the slidemember causes thek switch blades 318 `and, 40 to move downwardly whereupon the lower switch b1ade-40 moves out of engagement with the hopper bottom wall 35 and theV switch blades remain in contact as shown in IFIGURE 9. As the slide member 82 moves downwardly, the abutment 86 is movedzdownwardly into the path of the lead ball 14, thus preventing this ball from rolling downwardly through the passage 88 and *into the chute 92.. Another; ball 14 may. ibe .positioned at the rear endrof the chute y prior to operation of the toy. Rotation ofthe axle shaft 60causes noisernakermeans tovoperate and commencesv operation ofthe leaf spring 94and hook 96 to ilip succeeding balls l14 frorn the ,smokestack 28'.` The spring 106 rides across the flat edges 102 andthe notches |104 ofthe plate 100, thus providing the previously discussed vmechanical sound and the pins 1120 flex the clapper brack.

et 116 producing gthe clanging bell/sound. Upon Efur- 'ther rotation of the axle shaft k60," the slide member S2 is vmoved upwardlyV to the positionV shownfin FIGUREV 10. As illustrated inFIGUREIlO, the abutment 86 moves upwardly out of the path of the lead 4ballr14 so that this ball may -roll through the: passageway 88 and come to rest at the :rear -of the chute v92` .through which a ball haspreviously been flipped through the smokestack 28,.Y

During .suchupward movement l*of the guide 82, the; stop 901moves into the passageway/88 to blockdownward movementof a subsequent Iball in the passageway. This subsequent ,ball is engaged by the upper switch leaf 38 thus maintaining 4the locomotive :in forwardmovement as the lower switch Vleaf 40 again enga-ges the body, and more particularly, the lbottom wall of the hopper.

' Other suitable articles maybe used in lieu of-the `balls 14. Since the toy is intended 'for young children the balls are ,preferred in' that they are easy to Vhandle and arenot likely? .to cause Vinjurytofurniture or the child. Loading of the balls.14 into the hopper 12is suggestive of loading coal into the locomotive tender, and ejection of the balls through the smokestack 88 is suggestive of puffs of smoke being emitted from the smokestaok. Combined with ringing of the bell and the ohugging effect of the locomotive, a novel and amusing toy is provided.

While this Ainvention has been described with reference to a certain structure, materials and operation in a particular environment, various changes may be apparent to one skilled in the art, and the invention is not, therefore, to be limited to such structure, material, operation or environment. Various features of the invention are set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a self-propelled toy steam-type locomotive, the combination comprising a body in the shape of a steam locomotive and including, a coal hopper for receiving pieces simulating coal, a boiler adjacent said hopper, and a smokestack, means for feeding said pieces from said hopper to said boiler to simulate stoking the locomotive, power `operated means for driving the locomotive, means in the path of movement of said pieces from said hopper to said boiler to effect operation of the power operated means, said means in the path of movement of said pieces being operative to stop the operation of the power operated means when said hopper is empty, and means connected with said power operated means and operable during the operation thereof to eject said pieces through said smokestack to simulate smoke.

2. In a self-propelled toy steam-type locomotive, the combination comprising a body in the shape of a steam locomotive and including, a coal hopper at the rear of the locomotive for receiving a plurality of balls to simulate loading coal into the hopper, a boiler in front of said hopper, and a smokestack at the front of said boiler, means for feeding said balls from said hopper to said boiler to simulate stoking the locomotive, power operated means for driving the locomotive, means in the path of movement of said balls from said hopper to said boiler to effect operation of the power operated means, said means in the path of movement of said balls being operative to stop the operation of the power operated means when said hopper is empty, and means connected with said power operated means and operable during the operation thereof to eject the balls through said smokestack to simulate smoke.

3. In a self-propelled toy steam-type locomotive, the combination comprising a body in the shape of a steam locomotive and including, a coal hopper at the rear of the locomotive for receiving a plurality of balls to simulate loading coal into the hopper, a boiler including a rebox in front of said hopper, and a smokestack at the front of said boiler, means for progressively feeding said balls from said hopper to said rebox to simulate stoking the locomotive, means responsive to said balls being progressively fed to said reboX for driving the locomotive across a supporting surface and for stopping the locomotive when said hopper is empty, and means operable while the loco motive is being driven for intermittently ejecting the balls through said smokestack to simulate puits of smoke.

4. In a self-propelled toy steam-type locomotive, the combination comprising a body in the shape of a steam locomotive and including, a coal hopper at the rear of the locomotive for receiving a plurality of balls to simulate loading coal into the hopper, a cab at the front of said hopper, a boiler in front of said hopper and including a rebox in said cab, and a smokestack at the front of said boiler, means for progressively feeding said balls from said hopper to said lirebox to simulate stoking the locomotive, a throttle lever in said cab and operable to effect starting the locomotive and for feeding a first of said balls into said rebox, means responsive to said balls being fed into said firebox for moving the locomotive forwardly and for stopping the locomotive when the hopper is empty, means operative while said locomotive is moving for providing a clanging sound similar to a locomotive bell and an intermittent sound similar to a steam locomotive chugging along, and means operable while the locomotive is movingv for intermittently ejecting the balls upwardly through said smokestack to simulate puffs of smoke, whereby a child operating the locomotive may attempt to catch the balls as they ily from the smokestack.

5. In a self-propelled toy, the combination comprising a wheel supported body including a hopper portion for receiving a plurality of balls, means for receiving said balls from said hopper, power operated means drivingly connected with a supporting wheel for the body, means in the path of movement of said balls from said hopper to said boiler to eect operation of the power operated means, said means in the path of movement of said balls being operative to stop the operation of the power operated means when the hopper is empty, and means Connected with said power operated means and operable thereby to fling the balls from the body.

6. A wheeled toy comprising a body including a hopper portion for receiving a plurality of separate pieces and means affording passage of the pieces in sequence to a position in said body spaced from said hopper portion, and power operated driving means for said toy, Ycontrol means which is in the path of movement and responsive to the passage of the pieces from said hopper to said position to effect operation of said driving means and movement of the toy, and said control means being operative to stop the operation of said driving means when the body is emptied of such pieces.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 785,835 3/1905 Roth 10S-232 1,478,350 12/1923 Okel 46-42 RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner. F. B. LEONARD, Assistant Examiner. 

6. A WHEELED TOY COMPRISING A BODY INCLUDING A HOPPER PORTION FOR RECEIVING A PLURALITY OF SEPARATE PIECES AND MEANS AFFORDING PASSAGE OF THE PIECES IN SEQUENCE TO A POSITION IN SAID BODY SPACED FROM SAID HOPPER PORTION, AND POWER OPERATED DRIVING MEANS FOR SAID TOY, CONTROL MEANS WHICH IS IN THE PATH OF MOVEMENT AND RESPONSIVE TO THE PASSAGE OF THE PIECES FROM SAID HOPPER TO SAID POSITION TO EFFECT OPERATION OF SAID DRIVING MEANS AND MOVEMENT OF THE TOY, AND SAID CONTROL MEANS BEING OPERATIVE TO STOP THE OPERATION OF SAID DRIVING MEANS WHEN THE BODY IS EMPTIED OF SUCH PIECES. 